Rafael Nadal vs. Ryan Sweeting – Second Round Preview: Wimbledon Championships 2011
Defending champion and top seed, Spaniard Rafael “Rafa” Nadal continues his title defence at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London on Wednesday, June 22nd as he takes on world number sixty nine Ryan Sweeting in their second round match here.
Always an unstoppable force on clay, the Spaniard is pretty much the same on grass as well. A titlist here in 2008 and 2010, Rafa holds an impressive 29-4 lifetime win loss mark here. He won the title last year after defeating Czech Tomas Berdych in straight sets in the final match.
If his run at Wimbledon isn’t impressive enough, the Spaniard already holds two titles and four final appearances for the running season with an impressive 45-7 win loss mark.
After a disappointing setback at the 2011 Australian Open where he lost to compatriot David Ferrer in the quarterfinal round, the Armani model returned in full fury in March as he put two back to back final appearances at Indian Wells and Miami, losing to Serb Novak Djokovic on both occasions.
He went a step further in April when he clinched back to back title wins at Monte Carlo and Barcelona, defeating Ferrer on both occasions. Although Nadal again lost to Djokovic in the finals of Rome and Madrid, the Spaniard once more hit the top of the ladder two weeks ago when he clinched his tenth Grand Slam win and sixth French Open title after defeating the once legendary maestro, Roger Federer.
Although the Spaniard fell short in the grass season, falling in the quarterfinal of the AEGON Championships against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, he is still one of the favourites to clinch a title win here. Starting the bid for his eleventh Grand Slam win on Monday, Nadal met and defeated Michael Russell in three straight sets in the opening round here.
Next to the grandeur that is Nadal this season, Rafa’s second round opponent Sweeting not only lacks lustre but also fails to prove much of a competition for the Spaniard. With a meagre 10-9 win loss record for the season, the American does not hold a chance to upset the reigning world number one. Sweeting moved into the second round here after a long and hard fought five set victory against Spanaird Pablo Andujar.
Meeting Nadal for the third time this year, Sweeting lags 0-2 in the pair’s head-to-head record. With both matches coming in early rounds of the events, the Spaniard holds straight sets wins over the American with minimal game loss. With their first at the 2011 Australian Open and then the second at Indian Wells, Rafa holds three breadstick victories over the American of the total five sets he has won.
Prediction: Outshining the American on paper as well as with his experience on grass, the Spaniard is expected to sail into the third round in straight sets.
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